The Louisville Bats fell 6-4 to the Toledo Mud Hens on Sunday to open an eight-game homestand at Louisville Slugger Field. Marshall (0-5) walked a season-worst seven batters as Toledo rallied from a 2-0 first-inning deficit.

Toledo used a pair of home runs in the sixth inning to take a 5-2 lead. Leadoff hitter Ezequiel Carrera had four hits, stole three bases, and scored three runs.

Marshall, who entered the game with a 12.94 ERA, had a 2-0 lead entering the fifth. He came close to pitching five scoreless innings but Louisville couldn’t turn a 6-4-3 double play. Carrera scored from third to pull Toledo within 2-1.

In the sixth, Marshall’s wildness contributed to the Mud Hens’ rally. With one out, the right-hander walked Western Kentucky University alum Wade Gaynor, who then stole second. Marshall then walked Brandon Douglas.

Bats manager Jim Riggleman pulled Marshall for reliever Nick Christiani. Carrera, a lefty, greeted the right-hander by pulling a pitch over the right field wall for the go-ahead three-run home run. After a groundout, Tyler Collins hit a solo shot to increase the score to 5-2.

In 51/3 innings, Marshall allowed three runs on four hits and struck out four. In his previous Slugger Field start, he gave up seven runs in 11/3 innings. Marshall has walked 27 batters in 211/3 innings.

Riggleman said of Marshall, “It’s kind of mixed reviews. He threw some good pitches but the walks ultimately got him.”

Asked if he saw signs of progress, he said: “No question. That’s the best that he’s thrown so we’re moving in the right direction. But when you have that many baserunners. there’s a chance something bad is going to happen.”

In the Louisville sixth, the Bats got an unearned run to claw within 5-3. A throwing error by Toledo second baseman Brandon Douglas allowed Donald Lutz to score.

The Bats picked up a run in the seventh when Neftali Soto’s ground out scored Jason Bourgeois. Soto had two hits and two RBIs.

But in the eighth, Carrera singled, stole second and third and scored on Hernan Perez’s sacrifice fly to make the margin 6-4.

• Before the game, the Reds announced that Bats left-hander David Holmberg (0-4, 5.28 ERA) will be promoted to start the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader. … Catcher Tucker Barnhart was called up from Louisville.

Contact Michael Grant at (502) 582-4069, and on Twitter @MichaelGrant_CJ.